FORMER US Secretary of State Dr. Madeleine Albright delivered a stimulating talk and sharply answered questions in an open forum in the hugely successful ANC Leadership Forum on Global Governance and World Economy, held recently in Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel.
Albright—“Grandma Maddie” to her grandchildren—has a personal familiarity with world politics and international diplomacy, whose voice permeates with unflinching, absorbing and moving observations and reflections. She enthralled her Philippine audience with her snappy wit, wisdom, rapport and public-relations skills.
Come to think of it: Public diplomacy and public relations have commonalities. Both use communication that convinces. Both tap information and persuasion to influence the opinions and positions of their defined publics or stakeholders, and both build proper pressure on the policy-makers to influence the decisions and activities certain groups in accordance with identified goals and interests. And important, both activities are meant for the advancement of expressed interests, pushed by our persuasive abilities.
Unafraid to take on hard issues or project her leadership and communication skills, Albright shared these meaningful insights on diplomacy and public relations:
“Rule-of-law” issues could harm investments in the Philippines. Albright prudently opted not to comment on domestic internal politics of foreign countries, but when asked about foreign-investment prospects for the Philippines, she repeatedly mentioned the need to uphold the “rule of law”. Investors do not want to go into a place where the rule of law is under question. As such, government institutions and the rule of law are very important because, despite the fact that investing in its nature is risky, it is better for countries themselves to make it as less risky as possible.
Brooches make statements. Albright has a renowned practice of wearing symbolic pins and brooches to portend her dispositions and opinions on certain issues or on world leaders of the same stature as hers that she will sit in a table with. It’s a PR gesture. In 1993 when she was the US ambassador to the UN, Albright wore an antique snake brooch in answer to Iraq’s Saddam Hussein who described her “an unparalleled serpent”. Whenever she delivered a speech about the Middle East, she would wear a peace-dove ornament. For the ANC forum, she wore a brooch shaped like the sun and made of Philippine indigenous materials. “To show my respect”, she averred. She would wear a pin of a “very active man with a loud speaker” if she gets to meet President Duterte.
There should be equilibrium in the China issue. While the US was “deeply concerned” over China’s construction of artificial islands and military facilities in the South China Sea, countries in the region, including the US, had to do a “balancing act because we all recognize the importance of close ties with China and no one wants to see the military escalation of this conflict”. There should be no military solution to the West Philippine Sea issue. Diplomacy should be the route. Besides, the global economy will move faster in a win-win scenario if America’s archrival, China, remains stable.
The disputed territory must be referred to as West Philippine Sea. Albright drew applause when she said this, after last year’s ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that upheld the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone against China’s claim to almost all of the South China Sea. While Duterte had put on hold the arbitral ruling, choosing the timeline to repair relations with China is critical. She said, “I hope it’s in the back of people’s minds and discussions. I hope the decision is not OBE, or overtaken by events. It is there and I think it will be useful.”
Every country has the right to set their own foreign policy to suit their interests. This summarized Albright’s response when asked about Duterte’s daring alteration of mapping a genuinely independent foreign policy for the Philippines as an equidistant friend to all the world’s big powers, including the US. She stressed the importance of bilateral American-Philippine ties, and cited the Philippines’s “important mediation role” in Asia, considering its chairmanship of the Asean this year; and due to its location and the vibrant facet of Filipinos.
Every nation must treat each other with respect. Albright said this in reference to the relationship between the US and the Philippines, adding that countries can have relationships with a number of different countries without these having to be a “zero-sum relationship”. Wary about commenting on the President’s policy of cozying up to China and Russia while putting the US on the back burner, Albright described the link between her country and the Philippines “a very basic and crucial one, with a long tradition”.
There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women. It is a phrase Albright first used almost 25 years ago, when she was the US ambassador to the UN and worked closely with six other female UN ambassadors. She firmly believed that, even today, women have an obligation to help one another. She pronounced, “In a society where women often feel pressured to tear one another down, our saving grace lies in our willingness to lift one another up. And while young women may not want to hear anything more from this aging feminist, I feel it is important to speak to women coming of age.”
A commonality exists across the spectrum of every religion. In her book, The Mighty and The Almighty, Albright explained the correlation between religion and world affairs, past and present, and how best foreign policy and religion can interconnect. The best leaders, she proclaimed, “approach international crisis and develop world relations with a manner that accepts differences in opinions, but looks for shared aims.” She stated, “We are all God’s children,” independent of a certain group’s religious identity, and if leaders can agree on the fundamental principles, there is a good origination point for discussion.”
Nationalism could be dangerous. “People are feeling left out, that they have to argue against the elite,” Albright expressed. A mounting upsurge of nationalism is worming around the world as exemplified by Britain’s decision to exit the European Union and Donald J. Trump’s triumph against one of Albright’s successors, Hillary Clinton in the last US presidential election.
The world is a mess due to ultranationalism, terrorism and uneven growth. Albright, who helped open doors for women in government, said the world was in “desperate need” of leaders who could inspire a “common sense of purpose” even after elections. We need leaders who will lead beyond the cycle of an electoral process. “We will do best if democratic nations stand together,” she declared. Albright was “very troubled” with Trump’s “America First” policy, describing it as “counterproductive in so many ways, and limits the aspects how we can help solve a different number of problems”.
Albright told her Philippine audience that she’s “an optimist who worries a lot”. Indeed, both diplomacy and PR use the art and science of optimism. Diplomats and PR professionals can’t always have power over what the universe brings their way; they’re free to direct their ideas and dispositions. This gives them the opportunity to rise above trials and tribulations. They live with a shifting assortment of experiences, things that run from good to bad to uncertain.
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the UK-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier organization for PR professionals around the world. Bong R. Osorio is a communications consultant of ABS-CBN Corp., SkyCable, Dentsu-Aegis Network and government projects, among others, after retiring as vice president and head of the corporate Communications Division of ABS-CBN.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@gmail.com